Sacman wrote:Last I heard when this thing first came out was that they were having problems with the belt drive slipping on hills and other high torque conditions. I hope they finally got the problems worked out.

I blew up the picture around the belt drive and sharpened it...
That belt drive has teeth, so I cannot imagine it slipping.
Probably quieter than a chain drive, so it could be a good compromise for power transmission efficiency and being quiet.

One can easily remove the 18 Ah battery, for example to transporting the bike on a bike rack. This is easily done with a quick release lever. Weight of the battery is about 18 lb, so the weight would be about 44 lb without the battery, instead of 62 lb with it.Yes, the battery pack is very easy to remove. Undo the QR, slide pack up and swing out to the left

The bike can freewheel. So you can stop pedaling and keep coasting (maintain speed).The bike operates like a standard bicycle in that you can freewheel and spin the pedals backwards. Note that the motor will only engage when pedaling forward.

It has a high-pitched whine sound but can be regarded as mostly silent. It will not draw attention from people because of the sound.When the motor is engaged the motor and belt produce a "whirring" sound. It is not lot but not silent.

The basic warranty covers the bike for 365 days and battery for 90 days. The manufacturer does not provide an extended warranty plan, but maybe distributors can offer this.Unfortunately not, we do not offer an extended warranty for any of our products

On the "battery gauge" there are 5 levels indicated by LED lights arranged in a crescent.The battery gauge has 5 lights to indicate battery charge level

There is a side stand.Standard side kickstand just like other bicycles

The motor to rear wheel drivetrain is probably at a fixed gear ratio.The motor-to-rear wheel pulley is a fixed ratio

There is no anti-theft device (no key), just an on/off switch.The battery pack features a simply key lock to help prevent removal however there is no lock to prevent the bike from being turned on.

The motor still assist the rider beyond 20 mph, it does not cut out at that speed. This way, riders can reach higher speeds by adding pedal assistance.

You must pedal to move the bike. You decide the level of motor assistance, but you cannot run the bike on motor alone.

In Red: Updated answers on 2009/1/29 by James Pineda of IZIP-USA.

Last edited by Jerome Daoust on Jan 29 2009 8:56pm, edited 2 times in total.

Looking at the schematic (attached) of the patent, we see the differential inside the hub.

I know the setup is such that power is provided only when pedal input is detected, but for the sake of the argument if one would backpedal as fast as the the motor attempts to turn the wheel, you would stay stationary.

Jerome Daoust wrote:
I know the setup is such that power is provided only when pedal input is detected, but for the sake of the argument if one would backpedal as fast as the the motor attempts to turn the wheel, you would stay stationary.

It's a rather clever system. It's main drawback, for me, is that the pedal gearing changes if the motor is not used. Of course, they make a virtue of this but it means it would be awkward to have the motor switching on and off dependant on need....

Fom what i understand its a fixed planetary gear system the only variable being the manual pedal gearing.
if i'm wrong please explain how this evo planetary hub changes gears?

Its not hard to build a hybrid drive system where the motor drives a 3 speed variable planetary hub or other variable gearing
combined with a trditional outer cog. When will it be done i don't know?
people are building their own so we know its possible.

the giant la twist dx is a disapointing front hub motor - when will they learn? Their previous design ran off the crank case and through the gearing - a superior design.

That probably requires some modifications, and to get a battery system with enough energy (I want 600+ Wh) would required an extra purchase and special install. I just want a complete solution, and a warranty. But thanks for the input Russell.

That probably requires some modifications, and to get a battery system with enough energy (I want 600+ Wh) would required an extra purchase and special install. I just want a complete solution, and a warranty. But thanks for the input Russell.

I was just messin' with ya. I pretty much figured if someone wants to shell out three big ones for an electric bike they wouldn't look twice at the lowly Trailz. At $300 delivered it's quite a deal though and I've read it really runs at 36V as long as you're prudent with the throttle

Jerome Daoust wrote:TheSuperKids.com is saying it is already in stock, as of January 19.
Maybe just for the Medium size, with the Large available Later.
I sent them a message asking to confirm. They would be semi-local for me, so I could possibly get a test ride if they have it.

They replied saying they have the bikes in boxes and ready for shipment, but they do not offer test rides.

I'll sell you my bike for $2,995, its faster than that currie, and has 600+Wh of battery(48v 20Ah)...(j/k on the I'll sell it part)
Mine only cost... about $1500-1700 with an xtracycle attachment. It can go 30-32 mph without pedaling if there isn't a headwind, why not just make your own bike?